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7th Global Fisheries Enforcement Training Workshop
The International Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (IMCS) Network, in partnership with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, held the 7th Global Fisheries Enforcement Training Workshop (GFETW) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 31 July to 4 August 2023. The theme for the event was Moving from Words to Action – Innovative Collaborative Partnerships to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. This theme acknowledges the pressing need for the global community to take immediate, strong, and sustainable action to safeguard the oceans.
The GFETW serves as a global gathering for individuals working in the field of fisheries monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS), compliance, and enforcement, as well as those who provide support on a national, regional, or international level. It provides a platform for exchanging information about the obstacles faced by fisheries and for sharing successful MCS and compliance strategies. The Workshop, hosted by the IMCS Network, welcomed 150 representatives from 49 countries. The agenda focused on themes that are relevant to the fisheries MCS compliance and enforcement community, these included Collaboration and Partnerships; Technology as an Enabler; Risk Assessment and Analysis; Transshipment; MCS for Coastal and Community Fisheries; and Transparency.
The Workshop began with a customary blessing from Elder Charlotte Bernard, a member of the Mi’kmaw First Nation. Elder Charlotte Bernard said “Water is life. I was taught to think seven generations ahead. That is why the work you are doing here is so important”. Her words hold significance for us, inspiring us to contemplate how we can collectively work towards safeguarding the Earth’s oceans.
Mr. Mike Kelloway, Member of Parliament and Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Government of Canada, gave the keynote address. Together with Mr. Gary Orr, the Chair of the IMCS Network, and Ms. Heather McCready, Director General of Conservation and Protection at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, they welcomed the participants and provided opening remarks. Ms. Heather McCready expressed her delight at being reunited with people from all over the world who share the commitment to protect the world’s oceans from IUU fishing after several years of being apart.
During the workshop, Stop Illegal Fishing (SIF) Coordinator Per Erik Bergh and Fisheries Expert Sandy Davies gave presentations. Colleagues Christian Nzowa from the Deep Sea Fishing Authority in Tanzania, Benedict Kiilu from the Kenya Fisheries Service, and Roddy Allisop from the Seychelles Fishing Authority worked with SIF to prepare for and contribute to the workshop as co-presenters with Mr. Bergh and Ms. Davies. SIF thanks the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and The Waterloo Foundation for their support to enable this that events like the Workshop are accessible to those who work in fisheries MCS, compliance, and enforcement.
During their presentation on collaboration and partnership, specifically regional cooperation and partnerships, Mr. Per Erik Bergh and Mr. Benedict Kiilu discussed the topic of ‘The Evolution of FISH-i Africa – Building Sustainable Regional MCS Collaboration’. The origins of FISH-i Africa were explained as well as core aspects of its achievements and mechanisms, examples of FISH-i cases were shared, with an emphasis on the significance of regional collaboration.
During a presentation on the sub-theme of cooperation and partnerships to address labor standard issues on fishing vessels, Mr. Per Erik Bergh and Mr. Christian Nzowa discussed ‘Misery at Sea – Examples from Southern Africa and a Tanzanian Tale’ under the theme of collaborations and partnerships. Examples of vessels with safety and crew abuse issues were discussed. The links between illegal fishing and violations of safety or labor standards were demonstrated and therefore the benefits of implementing the three international agreements – the 2009 Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA), the International Labor Organization (ILO) Work in Fishing Convention (2007) C 188, and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2012 Cape Town Agreement (CTA) – in a harmonized manner were discussed.
Ms. Sandy Davies spoke about the role of corruption in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in East Africa. Using examples of corrupt incidents, she shed light on the individuals involved in the corruption, the value chain, and the reasons behind it. She also provided national, regional, and international solutions to combat corruption. Under the transshipment theme, Ms. Sandy Davies dissected ‘Moving Tuna – Transhipment in the Western Indian Ocean’ a report by SIF, supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts. It analyses the role transshipment plays in the Western Indian Ocean.
The presentations offered valuable insights on emerging issues and innovative responses from around the world. They emphasized the importance of collective efforts to combat illegal fishing. SIF is dedicated to this fight and thankful for the opportunity to support those working hard to promote African fisheries MCS, compliance, and enforcement.